Feed mechanism for rapid-fire guns



Nov. 16,: 1948. PQH. DIXON A 2,453,786 n FEED MEcHANIsM FOR RAPID FIREGUNS l I Filed Apr1`24, 194e 4 s Smets-sheet 1 NOV. 1%6, 1948. v Y P, H,D|X0N 2,453,786 y FEED MEICHANISM FOR RAPID FIRE GUNS Filed April 24,1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Pau? H Dixon VNOV. 16, 1948.V H, DIXON2,453,786

FEED MECHANISM FOR RAPID FIRE GUNS Filed April 24, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5nvenor Paul H Bl'xon Patented Nov. 16,1948

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4l casarse,"

1, rrEnpflvrncnArirsivrFon RAPID-FIRE GUNS Paul llllirron, HWenham,Mass., assignor to 'United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N.J., a corporation of Nervv ersey Application April g4, 194:6,` SerialNo. 664,609 i This invention relates to rapid fire guns andl ofareceiver casing which encloses the breechmechanism of the gun. Anexample of a gun'of this type is the 20 mm.IIispano-Suiza airplane Forsuccess in feeding'the" cartridges accurate?.

1 1 claim. (o1. sagas )j ciprocating breech bolt,

ly and reliably to the proper position in the path of thereciprocatingfbreech bolt of such a'gm at the requiredhigh rateof speed,often 700 or more rounds per minute, it is` essential not only that thecartridges be fed unfailingly atthe required rate tothe4 entranceof thereceiver but thateach cartridge be kept under absolute control in thereceiver until itis pickedup by the breech |bolt to yloe rammed into-thefring chamber in the gun barreh i The only practical form iniwhichammunition can be supplied to a gun at such a highV rate is that of abelt composed of cartridges connected by links, which must be strippedfrom the cartridges, one at a time, as they reach the receiver of thegun, and the object of the`present inven-` tion is to provide an`improved cartridge feeding mechanism which is not` only`powerfulenoug'h to feed a heavy cartridgebelt intermittently at therequired speed but which will also separate the rounds successively fromthe belt and keep each cartridge,`including thelastartridge from thebelt, continuously under complete control while feeding it downward intothe receiver until the cartridge is engaged and rammed forward by thebreechbolt of the gun during counterrecoil.

With feeders heretofore used on guns of this type it has been impossibleto fire the last round or rounds from the belt :because no provisionotherY than the push exerted by following rounds was made for forcing acartridge down into the receiver through the distance from the positionwhere `the cartridgeenters `,the receiverwto the position where thecartridge is engaged by the breech bolt. This distance includes spacesufficient to accommodate a loose cartridge, which will not descendaccurately under the influence,v of gravity alone and is liable to causejamming of the gun if it is not kept under complete control.

A feature of the present invention` consists 4in the combination withmotor driven means for feeding an ammunition belt to the receiver of aand holding it down upon said ways untilit is removed therefrom by thebrechbolt. The rounds are thus kept under complete control at all times,regardless of gun vibrationpr position, and the last round from theebelt is positioned and fired with the same certainty as any otherround.

The invention will be best understood `and ap-Y preciated vfrom readingthe following detailed description of one practical embodiment thereofin connection with the accompanying draw` ings, in which @Fig. 1 is aperspective view, with parts brokenv away to reveal the cartridgefeeding mechanism; Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly insection, on a larger scale, showing the feeding mechanism with acartridge in position to be rammed;

" Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line III- III of Fig. 2; and

` Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 3 showing a cartridge insuccessive positions until it reaches ramming position.

gun, and means for separating successive rounds Referring now to Fig. l,M indicates an electric motor which provides power for operatingmechanism for feeding an ammunition belt to the receiver of a gun. Themotor M is connected, through gearing contained in a housing G and afriction clutch contained in a housing C, to a shaft I0 the outer end ofwhich is supported in a bearing l2 mounted in a stationary supportingframe i4. Y

vA uixed to the shaft I0 are star wheels I6, I8 each of which has fourradiating cartridge engagingngers 20 and 22 respectively. The advancefaces 24 ofI these ngers are curved lto nt the perimeter ofa cartridge Rat the location where thecartridge is to be engaged by the ngers.Inasmuch as the cartridge case` tapers somewhat, the radius of curvatureof the faces 24 on the rear star wheel I6 is slightly greater than thatof `the corresponding faces on the front star wheel I8 and the depth ofthe throat between adjacentflngers is greater than that ofthe throatbetween the corresponding fingers of the feed wheel |78, in order thatthe axis of a cartridge `in engagement with the fingers of the two feedWheels I6, I8 shall be parallel with the axis offthe shaft l0 bywhichfthe Wheels -are driven. Y' v Also aixed to the shaft ID are threestripper cams 26, 28, 30 which are designed to engage and strip from anon-coming cartridge one of the links 32 which connect a series ofcartridges to form an ammunition belt. As shown in Fig. 3,

As will 4be apparent from an inspection of Figs;

3, 4 and 5, wherein the cartridgesv areto be considered as moving in thedirection indicated by the arrow on Fig. 3, each cartridge will be underthe positive control of the feed` wheels wg, I8-, and'. the retainingplates 33,4 40, until the cartridge-v reaches the position shown in,Fig.. 5. Prior to this stage, however, t-he cartridge will have reachedand engaged a pair of loading fingers 44 and 4B which are looselymounted upon the shaft L0. f .or pivotal movementabout thev axis of saidshaft (see Fig. l). Each-of the'fingers44, 4B-is notched as shown at 48and a pin 50-4 extending across the notch is engaged. inthe notched. endof an operating lever'52 pivotally supported upon a horizontal; rod 54.Each operating lever has a laterally projecting shelfy 55 upon whichvbears aV spring 58- tendingE constantly todepress the notched. innerend. of the operating lever and, consequently, tof move the` nger 44.or. 46. inward around the.l axis of the shaftY I0.. As soon as acartridge engages the ngers 44, 46, which occurs at approximately thetime'.` when. the vcartridge reaches. the position shown. in. Fig.. 4,the said lingers begin to-yeld toward. the left and eventually reachthepositionrshownin- Fig. 5 at which time the, cartridge canstart tomove downward into the throat 42. By examining Fig. 5y it may be seenthat the cartridge at this` stage in its progress is about to leave thecontrolfotthe. finger 2E. and, inasmuch; aspressurefisbeing exertedupon; the cart-ridge by thefiingerslu. and. 44lin a line well above adiameterof.. the cartridge, the cartridge will be moved forciblydownward. inthe throat. 4.2.unti1` theiinger 44 moves, tol the right,above the cartridge, to the position shown in. Fig. 6.. At thistirnethecartridge rests upon. in.- clined supporting ways.6.,.formed inthebottom portionY of' the throat. 42, in. the position shown. in. Fig. 2,.where it isz-ready to be. engaged byl the. f

breech, bolt 6.2. of the. gun. and. rammed. into the. firing chamber.The dash line 64 in Fig. 2 indi: cates the plane of the. top oi,thebreech bolt 62" and if. thecartridgain its passage from the posi,-tion illustrated in. Fig.Y 5. toward. that illustrated in Fig. 6 shouldencounter the, breech bolt'62` it` will merely be.. held down onjtheupper face thereof until the bolt" has recoiled sufficiently to permitthe cartridge to be. forced; down upon the supportingways fill.y

In Y its descent from. the position shown in Fig.,5,. t'o that shown inFig. 6 thev cartridgeis a1so.under the control of a. retainingnger 66which.is pivoted upona stationary pin S8. (Figs. land 3) and;

is under the innuence of. a spring intending a1- ways to move the.finger in a counterclockwise. direction as viewed in Figs. 3 to 6. Alug'12, rUpon` whichzthe force of the; spring TD isLexerted.' isintegral-.with the iinger'''- and limits the counterclockwise' movementof the latterl by engagement with a portion of the frame I4, as shown inFig. 3. The retaining finger 66 cooperates with the finger 44 to keepthe cartridge continuously under control while the cartridge is on itsway down in the throat 42 and at the end of the descent of the cartridgemoves in above the cartridge case (see Figs. 2 and 6) to aid in holdingthe cartridge down accurately upon: theways 60.

The supporting waysl upon whichY the car tridge is deposited areinclined downward from the rear toward the front of the gun in orderthat the cartridge shall be in the position shown in full lines in Fig.2, which is the correct position to. ensure the proper entry of thecartridge into thefiring chamber'of the gun barrel. In this position'the' retaining finger 66 engages the cartridge case about midway of itslength and cooperates lwith the rear loading finger '44 to retain thecartridge accurately upon the supporting Ways. The broken lines in Fig.2 show the position ot the cartridge as itsprojectile end is justleaving the lower end. of the front loadingnger 4-but is still under.the=inuence of t-he rear loading. 1nger44` and the` retaining.A finger66, these.

will be fed and kept under complete control at.

any rate which the gun .may require.

Having described my invention, what I claim aanew anddesire tosecure byLetters Patent of the UnitedStatesist The combination,.with a.A gunhaving areciproeating` breech boltand. a. receiver into thetop of.rwhich. cartridges. are fed downward, of motor driven; means for `feedingan ammunitionbelt. to

'- the top ott-he. receiver, meansy for separating a uponsaid ways,.and. a retaining nger for holding said. cartridge down on the. waysuntil it is removed. therefrom. by the breech -bolt during,counterfrecoil.

. PAUL H. DIXON.

REFERENCES circo The. following references` are of record in the. ile'oil.v thisv patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name. Date 1,335,677" Foxetlal Mar.301920'. L,52'5,06'6' Browning, Feb. 3, 1925 2,403,170; Chapmanv July 2,1946- 2,407,461 Vesely Sept. 10, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES VWar DepartmentTechnical Manual 'IMQ-227 (published Junel, 1943)'.

